How Fandom Has Changed

[paraka]

So, I've spoken to people about this in various places in various ways, but I kind of wanted to put this out there, and get people's opinions.

Maybe it's just the fandoms I've been in, or it could just be me, but it seems like fandom has changed how they present themselves a lot since I joined. The area that I notice this the most is with vidding.

I remember making my first vid, and then having no idea how to go about sharing it. I was a poor student! I couldn't afford to buy webspace! I also was stuck using WMM (Version 1!) because you couldn't get downloads of better programs, and that was all that was available to me. It took me *months* to get my hands on all the aired episodes of QaF, because there weren't all the communities available, and while there was probably bit torrent, I certainly didn't know about it. I used Kazaa to get all my eps. :P I remember, even as I got started, there was meta going around saying that vidding was beginning to lose some of it's quality because what with WMM being on most new computers, and episode downloads more readily available everyone was trying vidding now, even if they hadn't any talent for it. I took exception to such meta, mostly because I was one of those talentless n00bs taking advantage of the new fangled technology suddenly on my computer (I still don't really agree with that idea, because for all the less than stellar vidders, there are a lot of amazing vidders who wouldn't have tried in the old days, and even if you're not an amazing vidder, I still think your work has merit if you enjoyed yourself. Hell, if I was that kind of elitist, I could never have made anymore vids, and I'd like to think that I've moved beyond the mediocre vidder I started as).

Despite it giving me problems when I first started out, I think the thing about vidding today that annoys me the most is the fact that people don't have personal webpages for their vids anymore. They just post them to Youtube or Imeem, and so, so many don't even offer a download link anymore, or if they do, they're often hosted on temporary sites such as sendspace or megaupload. I'm one of those people that always downloads vids, I watch them as I do other things on my computer, I hate streaming vids. I won't watch them if there is only a streaming option, and I like being able to go to a vidders website and downloading more of their vids if I find something I like. Half the time if I want to do that now, I end up having to root someone's LJs tags or memories, only to find that the download link has expired.

And it's not just vidders that I've noticed giving up on personal websites, it seems like so many author's have decided that their LJs are the only place they need to post fic. I had a big long discussion with paradise_city about this, she was wondering why anyone would need more than LJ in fandom, and no offense to her, but that idea really... worries me and drives me crazy. Because LJ? Not really the best archive. Unless the author takes the time to maintain a master fic list, I find it so frustrating trying to find their other fics. Tags just... aren't really enough for me, and people can be really bad at keeping them updated (I know *I* am). Do people even *use* the memory feature any more? I've been lucky in SGA, that it has enough fic appearing on my flist, that I never really have to search any out, but it's not so with all fandoms. I've pretty much given up on reading Numb3rs fic, because it's always so much effort finding it. That's really the reason why I wanted to start an archive for Numb3rs, to help centralize it, but for reasons having to do with stupid eFiction those idea have been put on hold.

I know that when I started in fandom, it was literally *months* before I even found LJ, I happily did all my reading initially from personal webpages of authors, and then later from archives. Even once I was on LJ I did most of my reading off it. I really miss that. For one thing, as someone who doesn't bookmark fic as I read it, it was a lot easier for me to go back and find the fics that I had read previously, because it's a lot easier to remember a webpage than it is to remember someone's LJ.
I find myself missing the days when more fic was stored off of LJ, and not just because I feel that LJ isn't a reliable place for fandom. It's funny how fandom moves, I wonder where we'll be next.

Comments

[paraka]

Oh hey, if you'd like a place to host your vid, you're more than welcome to use my site; if you just want a link, to a page, to becoming part of the site (I had always planned on making more vidders part of my site, but just never really got around to it). And if you want any other kind of help with the vid (from technical questions to a beta), please, feel free to ask, I'm always there trying to spur on new vidders :)

As for LJ, I'm old fashioned and still use the memory feature. I used to have a huge long list of Bookmarks however I tend to avoid relying on that these days as I recently had a Harddrive corrupt itself on me.
I never really use the memory feature, unless it's specific posts in my own journal, or a series of things, like meta on other's LJs.
As for bookmarks, do you use Firefox as a browser? Because if you do, there's a great little add on called Fox Marks that will back up your bookmarks online for you and actually allow you to sychronize your bookmarks if you have more than one computer. I would have died more than once without it.
I also use that list I sent you as a way of keeping track of the fics I want to read. I have that list saved as a draft in my email, so I can easily add new fics that catch my interest, and delete fics once I've read them. I remember I once tried putting fics that caught my interest into memories, but it became to bulky and a mess, for me, I then went to just bookmarking fics, which I used for quite a while, but really, I like my system now most, because I can put a summary, or describe what caught my attention in with the link. And, as you said, I can access it from anywhere. *shrugs* It works well for me.

[jolinar.livejournal.com]

Oh, you are so very generous, thank you so much for your offer. My vid is kind of stagnant at the moment, not really moving very far. I only have about 2 and a bit minutes of it so far and I'm kind of having a break. I'm almost sick of the song, even though I picked it because I love it :P Have you ever experienced that before? Just worked so hard and obsessively watched and rewatched it checking for errors that you're getting a little sick of the song? I'm feeling a little obsessive compulsive about it. Could be the perfectionist in me.

I'll totally take you up on the offer when I have it done though, espcially the beta. I would be incredibly honored to have someone whose vids I really enjoy to look over mine :)

As for Bookmarks, I do use Firefox, although I've never heard of Fox Marks before. Interesting concept and I'll definitely have a look into it. I used to have lists and lists of bookmarks, a whole subfolder (more like 10 subfolders) full of fic, and then computer went bye bye. Quite heartbreaking :| Having a backup online sounds good to me. I also very very much enjoy your system of fic archiving -- been going through your rec's so far and I'm loving it. The summaries really help, so far I've just been going through the summaries and reading what jumps out at me. I'm probably gonna start going in order to keep track of what I've read and what I haven't soon though ;)

[paraka]

My vid is kind of stagnant at the moment, not really moving very far. I only have about 2 and a bit minutes of it so far and I'm kind of having a break.
Well, if you'd like some stimulation with the vid (either now, or when you think you're ready to start working on it again) a midway beta can really help, and can help in the overall vid because sometimes, a vidder can be missing something, and by the time they're finished it's kind of too late to fix it, or else requites a major overhaul (like if your POV is all over the place, or if certain clips are bringing up associations you don't necessarily want [I removed a section of my last vid, because one of my betas though I was commenting on sex in the show :S]).

I would be incredibly honored to have someone whose vids I really enjoy to look over mine :)
Awww. *blushes* Now I feel the need to make more vids :P
Do you watch Numb3rs? Because right now I'm thinking my next vid will be for that fandom, but I'm not sure...

I used to have lists and lists of bookmarks, a whole subfolder (more like 10 subfolders) full of fic, and then computer went bye bye. Quite heartbreaking :|
Oh man, I've had that happen. I started obsessively backing up my favourites, but I love how with foxmarks I just don't have to worry about it. The most I'd even lose is a link or two, since I'm pretty sure that they update your links daily.

The summaries really help
They really, really do. I know that I used to just have a giant huge folder of fics to read, and I'd end up spending forever clicking on links, or else I'd end up reading something I wasn't really in the mood for since I didn't really know what the fic was about before going in.

I'm probably gonna start going in order to keep track of what I've read and what I haven't soon though ;)
I'm not sure if you'll find this helpful, but what I actually do is keep the list saved as an email draft, that way I can go in and edit it whenever I've read a fic, or add any new fics that sound interesting, but I don't have time to read right away.
You could just copy and past the whole list into a draft of some sort (I like email, since I can access it from any computer then, but a document would work just as well :).

[jolinar.livejournal.com]

Thats a good point, although I'm not sure if I could subject this monstrocity on someone just yet :P Even though I have around 2 minutes done its still feeling a little too much like a mishmash of clips for me. Again, like I said, I'm a perfectionist. However, an outside perspective would definitely help. When I feel like having a look at it again (not to mention after giving it a bit of a clean up) I'll give you a holler if thats ok with you?

LOL @ commenting on the sex in the show. Was that QAF by any chance? It must have been a little hard not to go too over the top with the sex scenes in a vid, considering a lot of the show WAS sex.

I don't watch Numb3rs, no :( I don't tend to watch a lot of T.V. really, although that will probably change now I'm not playing WoW anymore :P If you do make a Numb3rs vid, even if though I'm not in the fandom, I'll be watching it ;)

I was actually thinking of doing the whole draft email thing, as a compliment to the list you sent me. Your email will be a backup as such, and the draft I make a sort of progress list. Might go set it up now, actually :P

[paraka]

Even though I have around 2 minutes done its still feeling a little too much like a mishmash of clips for me.
May I ask what fandom and what song you're using? I don't know if this helps at all, but lately, I've gotten into the habit of writing my vids out on paper before I even open up a vidding program. It helps give you an overall idea of what the vid is going to be about, even if the final version is really different from the initial version (sometimes clips just don't fit like you thought they would). It also really helps to sit down and consider: What is the vid supposed to be about? What story are you trying to tell? Whose POV is it coming from? What are some significant canon sources that fit this scene (if it's something where there are a lot of canon moments, like Brain/Justin moments, that's not as important, but if it's something rarer, like when I made that vid about Vance, it's best to think of the major scenes ahead of time, so you can spread them out to the best advantage, you don't want to get half way through your vid and find you're run out of scenes)? And similar questions, if you go into the vid with the answer to those questions in the front of you mind, you'll find that it's a lot hard to put random clips together. It's much easier to present a solid storyline, because you *know* what that story line is.

When I feel like having a look at it again (not to mention after giving it a bit of a clean up) I'll give you a holler if thats ok with you?
Yep, whenever you're ready. You have my email address, and if you forget, it's just my livejournal.com one. :)

LOL @ commenting on the sex in the show. Was that QAF by any chance?
No! That's the thing, it was an SGA vid, so it caught me completely off guard! I had a section of the vid devoted to the Team going out and meeting the natives of the Pegasus galaxy. The thing is, for all that the main premise of the show is the team going to other planets, there aren't all that many good shots of the Team greeting the natives. Often they'll do shots of the Team, and then cut to the Natives, so you don't get them in the same shot. And if we do happen to get them in the main shot, there's only like one person, instead of a few. Two episodes where I was able to find out guys in a group of natives was in Irresistible and The Tower (when John was being goosed by that lady), and since very few episodes of SGA deal with sex, and those two did, the beta thought I was trying to bring that theme out.

I don't watch Numb3rs, no
*sigh* Numb3rs is such a small fandom, it makes me sad sometimes. :(

If you do make a Numb3rs vid, even if though I'm not in the fandom, I'll be watching it ;)
Cool, thank you. If it's any consolation, the vid idea I have is pretty much just an action vid with lots of things blowing up, and car chases an flaily hands, so it won't requite much canon knowledge.

[jolinar.livejournal.com]

Sorry for taking so long to reply! Time has yet again got away from me.

As for fandom/song -- its an SGA vid and the song is "Accident & Emergency" by Patrick Wolf. I've also got another vid I'm working on thats SGA and the song is "My People" by The Presets. That one I've only got about 15 seconds of ;) didn't go very far. Oh well.

All those questions are definitely things I'll have to rethink. I started the vid with a very clear image in mind as for what I was wanting, but it got a bit clouded half way. I think I need to rethink it and re-edit and clear my head a bit before I start up once more.

I've found that too re: team shots. It really is very difficult to find team-y kind of shots, and its exactly that kind of shot I was after for the vid I was doing to "My People" by the Presets. Very difficult indeed.

As for Numb3rs being a small fandom - I hear ya, I'm in a few fandoms that are very very small and make me sad. I usually love to share my love of a show/band/etc with someone, and there are very few someones in some of my fandoms :P

I'm very open minded anyway with vids and whatnot, so I'll be interested to see your vid for sure :)

[paraka]

Sorry for taking so long to reply!
Pfft, I finally just went through and archived comments it's far too late to reply to, and those were like a year old. I'm perfectly ok with late responses, and don't really consider a week late :P

its an SGA vid and the song is "Accident & Emergency" by Patrick Wolf.
I just looked it up, I can see it. Would you be at all interested in reading vid meta? After this discussion, and similar ones I've held with others on my flist, I've sort of started writing up a post on vidding for newbies. I'm not sure how many people will find it interesting, but it's been kind of fun to write, although I keep delving into stupid examples instead of properly explaining myself. I think I've rewritten it a zillion times. :S

It really is very difficult to find team-y kind of shots, and its exactly that kind of shot I was after for the vid I was doing to "My People" by the Presets. Very difficult indeed.
I know! It's so annoying! For my vid, I ended up using scenes from Childhood's End, The Tower, that... episode with Cheya, you see them walking through a crowd. There are a decent amount of people in The Game, Poisoning the Well (which I didn't use because they were mostly dark), oh the one where John is stuck in the time dilation field, Irresistible and I think Irresponsible. There are more if you're willing to have single members of the team with others rather than the whole team.